Trench coats and shades never go out of fashion
A decade has past since developers Ion Storm released FPS/RPG Deus Ex. Artfully combining the first-person shooter with many role-playing conventions, Deus Ex was a huge success at the start of the new millennium. But ten years on and with a second sequel in the works how does this cyberpunk conspiracy game hold up?
The game play concept of Deus Ex revolves around a FPS experience with an extensive RPG element augmenting it. The role-playing aspect of the game is so strong that it would be easy to flip this notion and label the game an RPG with FPS elements thrown in. This combination of game genres has become a common sight in the industry today with many action games including some RPG elements but very few of these approach the level of depth offered by Deus Ex.
RPG qualities in the game include a large set of skills that can be levelled up through experience, upgradable weapons with various forms of ammunition and nanotech augmentations that provide various powers such as a cloaking field or regenerating health. The skill upgrades offer very tangible improvements for player character JC Denton’s abilities. For example, at the start of the game the aiming reticule for most weapons is large, representing the possible area within which bullets will hit when fired. Upgrading skills with each weapon will shrink the reticule and tighten your aim. Depending on what skills you improve, JC Denton can approach different challenges in various ways and the game is designed to ensure that these choices arise often.
On top of these character upgrades the game features extensive dialogue options that not only shift your allegiances throughout the story but determine the fate of key characters. All of this coupled with three possible endings adds up to an impressively malleable narrative. The story itself is steeped in government conspiracy and intrigue, featuring some grim and sometimes oddly prescient suggestions at the direction of the 21st century.
The story takes the player through a wide selection of locations including New York, Hong Kong, Paris and Area 51. The environments range from gritty to high tech and always feature a bustling array of characters. From hubs in these locations JC Denton sets out on missions ranging from infiltrating a corporate building to assaulting a terrorist-held Liberty Island. The real pleasure of Deus Ex lies in exploring the communities of each hub world and getting to know your environment before setting out to fulfil goals.
Generally this game play stands up exceptionally in the modern arena. Unfortunately the RPG aspects of the series have been toned down since the first game and it has also been rare to see other action games with this kind of role-playing depth (Mass Effect being one of the few to achieve this); as such Deus Ex still has something quite unique to offer modern gamers who haven’t tried it yet.
Sadly not every aspect of Deus Ex has held up well over the last ten years. The combat is relatively slow and has aged poorly when compared to modern FPS games. The game precedes modern action concepts such as a cover system and the AI is also somewhat lacking, with guards being quite easy to dupe or funnel into nasty situations. That said, tormenting the dim witted enemies can be enormously fun when the right tools are used.
The endurance of the graphics quality really depends on just how important this is to a player but by comparison to a modern game of the same genre Deus Ex is certainly dated. The environments hold up pretty well and there is definitely a good atmosphere to be found in each of the locations but the character graphics are quite stiff and this can make the cut scenes a little ugly. Despite the inevitable aging of the graphics, chances are an hour or two into Deus Ex you’ll forget all about looks and find yourself engrossed in the game; remember- it’s what’s underneath that counts.
Deus Ex is a surprisingly enduring game that retains most of the unique qualities that made it stand out a decade ago. Ultimately it isn’t going to compete as an action offering but as an engrossing world with a great story and an incredibly deep combination of FPS and RPG genres, Deus Ex excels. Once you’ve acclimatised to the pace of the combat and gotten used to somewhat dated graphics you’ll find a truly absorbing experience that should keep you hooked as you improve your character and navigate the twists and turns of an atmospheric and cleverly delivered narrative. If you’ve played Deus Ex then I don’t need to tell you that it deserves an occasional replay, if not then you should definitely give it a go; Deus Ex is a valuable addition to any collection.
